The Promise
by beautifullife92
Summary: After Katniss and Peeta swallowed the berries, all of Panem broke out into panic then into war in just a matter of hours. Gale, remembering his promise to protect her family, finds Prim and vows to keep his promise, even if means losing everything he has. Now alone and fighting to survive, they set out on a journey in hopes of making Katniss' sacrifice worthwhile.
1. Don't Look Back

_Hey everyone! This is my first HG fanfic and I'm pretty excited about it. This idea has been on my mind for a while and I wondered how well it would go. However, a few disclaimers. Never have been or will be Suzanne Collins and I don't always have time to proof read so that might explain any grammar or left out word errors :/_

_Anyways, thanks for taking time to check it out and please let me know what you think in reviews! I also accept and appreciate suggestions, ect :) thanks again for reading!_

Everyone gasped as Katniss held out the berries. Some whispered about what was so dangerous about fruit but I knew better. Nightlock-just a drop from the deadly berry would be enough to kill you. I know that and so does Katniss. Some cry out in anguish. Some hope and/or think that she's going to trick Peeta, her district partner and let him kill himself. Some, including myself, stay dead silent.

"Trust me," she whispers to Peeta and they hold each other's gaze for a long time while Katniss fills his palms with berries. "On the count of three?"

Peeta's eyes water but he kisses her softly then replies, "The count of three."

I fight back my own tears now, knowing that Katniss will never go back. The chose the wrong girl to compete in these Games. Katniss is a lot of things. Sister, daughter, best friend but more so, a provider, protector, survivor, a rebel and a fighter who will never, ever give up. The Capitol chose a very fitting name for her though. For Katniss Everdeen was about to start the biggest wild fire in the history of Panem.

They stand, their backs pressed together, empty hands locked tight.

"Hold them out," Peeta says then looks straight at the camera. "I want everyone to see."

Katniss does what she's told and bravely spreads out the berries in her hand for everyone to see. My heart beats ninety miles an hour. This is it.

"One," Peeta starts.

Katniss looks up at the camera one more time and she holds my gaze for what seems like an eternity. Memories of us flash before my eyes and I remember every promise that I made to her and as I stared back at my best friend on the screen, I made one more. I vowed to never let Katniss Everdeen's legacy die.

"Two," she says loudly, without breaking her gaze.

"Three." Peeta says with equal bravery.

Then, without skipping a beat, a revolution is sparked.

"Stop, stop!" Claudius Templesmith's voice rings out but by the eerie way their eyes close, I know that it's too late.

Everyone in the Hob screams as Katniss and Peeta take their last breath and both their bodies' slump to the ground. I stand in shock. It actually happened. I can't move. I can't breathe. My best friend…she's gone.

The crowd around me mourns loudly over Katniss but it quickly turns into panic when the TV shuts off unexpectedly and all the lights go out.

I shake my head, trying to clear it and force myself into believing what just happened. People around me ask what to do but I remain silent because honestly, I have no clue. This is something I was never prepared for. Finally, I can't take it anymore and I run outside. There's an eerie silence in District 12 and I don't like it. It's like when the birds fall silent right before a disastrous storm. I walk through the Seam for about twenty minutes and there is no one about. Not one soul. I assume everyone is either in their house or down at the square.

I'm right about the square. There's a huge gathering there and everyone is in an uprise. Fights are breaking out, children are running around frantically looking for their children and there is nowhere near enough peacekeepers to tame this mob.

"Gale!" I whip my head around and see my mother with Posey in her arms running towards me.

"Mom!" I shout in return but then I notice something usual. My two brothers are missing. "Mom, where's Rory and Vick?"

She continues to sob uncontrollably and I take her by the shoulders, trying to calm her down enough for her to speak slowly enough for me to hear her. "T-they d-d-disappeared! A-after the Games shut off, the square went into a mass panic and we got s-s-separated. I can't find them anywhere!" I pull my mother into my arms and she cries loudly into my chest.

"It's be alright, Mom. We'll find them!" I try to reassure her and we begin fighting our way through the crowd, calling their names but end up with no response.

After nearly an hour of fighting through chaos, we still can't find them and I begin to panic myself. Where could they be?

It's nearly seven in the evening and the sun is beginning to set. My only hope is that they got scared and ran back to the house. I tell my mother my theory but before we can completely leave the square, the big screen flashes on with the Panem symbol. Everyone settles down immediately and waits for the announcement everyone knew was coming.

President Snow appears and you can see the anger and hatred in his eyes. Katniss and Peeta did what no tribute has ever even thought of doing. They showed them up. They defiled the Capitol and that wouldn't go unnoticed. It's already been seen. There's no going back. The only thing that can be done is put out the fire that she's created.

"As you are all aware, the tributes of District 12 have made a very, very poor choice in this year's Game. It cannot and will not go unnoticed. I am sure that some districts out there are in a state of panic. No matter. This issue will be solved quickly." There's something about his voice that makes the hair on the back of neck stand up. I then realize that we're in the eye of the storm. "However, I do find it highly necessary to remind all districts out there of the consequences of defying the Capitol." And then the announcement is over.

I waste no time. The threat was extremely clear. I run as fast as my feet will carry me out of the crowd that's found itself in a panic again. I run into my mother. "Find the kids and head straight to the meadow!" I yell frantically.

She gives me a terrified look but runs off anyways. "Gale!" I hear her call out. I turn around and she screams, "Find Lily and Prim!"

Prim! Of course I had to get to her before the Capitol did. They would tear her apart if I didn't get to her first. I search the crowd but then my ear picks up something that almost nobody else can. After years of hunting, I notice the slightest things and I know that this particular sound doesn't belong.

I look up and to my horror, dozens of hovercrafts line the sky. Fears rising within me and I know that I only have seconds to find Prim before all hell broke loose. I scan the crowd frantically and finally, I see Lily, Prim's mom holding her close but the terror is evident in her eyes. I run to them and shout out their names. They whip around at the sound of my voice and they shout out my name.

"Gale, what's going-"

But I cut Prim off harshly. "We've got to go NOW!" I shout loudly.

Just as I finish that sentence, bullets rain from the sky from a nearby hovercraft. Prim screams but I shield her and force them to hide behind a nearby store. The people who own the store duck but two of them aren't fast enough and take bullets to the chest and back. I stare in horror as I realize that we're behind the Mellark's bakery and the people that have just been killed are two of Peeta's brothers.

Chaos breaks loose and I continue to shield Prim until the firing stops. I look up to see hundreds of Peacekeepers sliding down the rope ladders fast and furiously. They invade the square quickly and begin shooting aimlessly. Men, women and children fall lifelessly to the ground and I shout out at Lily to hide Prim, she doesn't need to see this.

When the time is right, I wait for Peacekeeper to run by me then I jump him and quickly snap his neck before he can think twice about it. I grab his weapons then run back to Lily and Prim. "Come on! We've got to get to the meadow!"

They're hesitant but they trust me anyways and run beside me. We're about hallway there before I can a cry of pain from Lily and I look back to see that she's been hit. I find the Peacekeeper responsible and end his life in return.

"Momma? Momma!" Prim shrieks loudly.

I pick up Lily then take her around a house to where we can't be seen. I lay her gently on the ground and examine her wound. The results aren't good at all. She's been hit directly in the middle of her back, severing her tailbone, and on the side where vital organs should be. Prim tries to help her but it's no use. The amount of blood…where she's hit…there's no saving her.

Tears cloud my vision as I pull her into my lap and wipe away the blood that she's viciously coughing up. For a moment, the earth stands still and just us. Lily grabs my hand and squeezes it tightly. "P-p-protect my baby," she stutters, "p-please protect her."

More tears fall and I kiss her forehead softly. "I promise." I barely choke out. And then her eyes close and her hand falls limp.

It's only Prim's frantic screaming that brings me back into reality. "Momma! Momma! NO! Wake up!" she screams as she shakes the lifeless body.

I carefully set her body down and try to control Prim. "Prim, we have to go!"

"NO!" she screams violently at me. "We can't leave her!"

I grab her shoulders and try to control my own voice but it cracks horribly. "Prim, please. She's gone, honey. We've got to get out of here." She's sobbing uncontrollably and I have no comfort for her right now. I cuff her face gently in my hands. "Please come with me. Do for it your mom." She looks at me with unbearable somber eyes. "Do it for Katniss." The mention of her name hits us both hard but she finally shakes her head then throws herself into my arms. I stroke her hair gently then lift her up. I hear voices around the corner and I know that we need to hurry now.

"Prim, I need you to make me a quick promise." I say quietly.

"Ok,"

"Whatever you do, don't look up."

She shudders violently but then buries her face into my chest. "I promise." She whispers.

And with that, I run. I run as fast as my feet will take me and I won't stop until I've reached my destination.


	2. Silence is Deadly

_It's been forever since I updated but so much has been going on with work and normal life. BUT I've finally gotten to it but I warn you now, I'm in a rush to get this uploaded so I didn't proof read :/ but it shouldn't be too bad :) and also, this chapter is pretty sad but it is essential to the story. Thanks for reading!  
**A/N: Sorry if you subscribed and got another notification that I updated. I forgot to add something in the note at the end! My bad!**_

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It's long into the night before the screams coming from town die down. It's a sickening, eerie silence. I ran about two miles into the woods and we hid in a cave and I was able to pull a log over to cover the opening. There was nothing that we could do but wait. Prim was in shock. She went from crying to completely shutting down on me. She won't talk but I can tell that she's terrified. Truth be told, there's a lot to say but both of us can't bring ourselves to face what's happened. In less than 24 hours we've lost all of our friends and most of our family. All because of a rebellious act with a couple of berries. It's still hard to comprehend that Katniss is really dead. I'm completely numb and in slight denial despite everything that's happened. I don't want to believe it because then I'd have to accept it and that would just cause a breakdown that I can't afford.

The Capitol was so quick and attacked with no warning. No time to plan an escape. No time to save anybody. But that was the point, to prove that the Capitol cannot be fooled or be overtaken and the only way to do that was to wipe out everything in their path without there ever being a chance of an uprising or the slightest thought of avenging Katniss and Peeta's death. It makes my blood run cold to think of how ready they were. No time was wasted. My question is: what are they going to do now? Surely they've made their point to District 12, if there are any survivors. What about the rest of Panem? Is a threat enough to scare the rest of the districts? What about the Hunger Games? Would they end or just get worse? So many questions, so few answers.

There's only one thing that I am sure of right now and that is to protect the little girl sleeping beside me. I was so focused on saving her that I had to leave my own family. I wanted to go back but after Prim's mother was killed, I couldn't risk her too. It would defeat Katniss' whole reason for volunteering to take her place. I wasn't about to let that happen. The Capitol is going to have to go through hell and back to take her life. As long as I am able to prevent it, they won't touch her.

My curiosity is getting the best of me though. Prim fell asleep around two this morning, which was hours after we got here but I haven't slept a bit. I have to go back. I have to see if there were any survivors. I need answers to all of the questions swirling through my head right now. Around six thirty, the sun begins to rise and so does Prim but it's not peacefully. I look over and see the grimace that's engraved on her face. I'm about to wake her up before she lets out a cry then sits straight up. She looks around and is confused by her surrounding but then her face turns somber again.

"So it wasn't just a bad dream." She whispers to no one in particular.

I walk over to her and wipe the sweat and dirt that's caked onto her face. "I'm afraid not but it's going to be ok. I promise." I say reassuringly but she merely nods, not believing me. I sigh and make up my mind then to go into town. I have to find out what's happened. "I have to go back, Prim. I have to see if there are any survivors."

She looks at me with fear in her eyes. "Don't leave me."

"I'm not leaving you. I'm not letting you out of my sight, ok? But we have to go back."

Prim is hesitant, which I don't blame her, I am too but we finally get enough courage to leave our safe hiding place and venture out into the unknown.

It takes about an hour to reach the edge of the woods. The town isn't that far away but it's merely because we take our time getting there. We don't talk, for there are no words to describe what we're feeling now. Fear, anxiety, sorrow. It's only adrenaline that keeps us going. I'm trying to avoid all of it but it's getting harder to fight off. There's so many things that I am unsure of. The only thing that I am focused on is keeping Prim alive and honestly, I don't even know how I am going to manage that.

Once we reach the last few trees blocking our view, I turn around and kneel down to Prim's level. "Prim, I need you to promise me something." She nods for me to continue. "I need you to promise to stay with me, no matter what we find, ok? I don't know what's going to happen but if we need to run, I don't want to waste time looking for you."

"Ok." She replies shortly, her eyes not meeting mine.

"Hey," I brush her cheek, causing her to look up. "It's going to be ok, trust me."

She nods then looks towards the trees. "It's quiet." She whispers.

"I know." I reply then squeeze her shoulder. And she's right. The silence is deafening and intimidating but I force myself to stand up. My knees knock together and for a moment, I'm not so sure it's a good idea to keep going. I'm terrified of what we're going to find because deep down I know it's not going to be good.

I must have zoned out because the only thing that gets my attention is a dainty hand grabbing my own, causing me to jump. I look down and she tries to smile but it turns more into a grimace so she tries squeezing my hand instead. It's a humbling experience to feel my hand, which is twice the size of Prim's, trembling violently. But I take a deep breath, reminding myself that I'm now in control of such a fragile life and that I need to man up and press on. So, taking Prim's hand into a more firm grip, we begin our journey beyond the trees.

What we find makes us both gasp and wish we'd never taken a step past the woods. A war zone…that's the best way that I can describe it. Homes burnt down, smoke still hanging in the sky, and the blood…the unmistakable smell of blood fills the air and nearly chokes me. We walk carefully through the meadow, hiding behind an occasional tree but there isn't really any sense of doing so because there are no signs of danger. Again, it's eerily quiet with not the rustle of a leaf to cause any worry.

But then we see the source of the smell of blood.

Bodies. Everywhere.

It's like a scene out of a horror movie except its far worse. This is reality. I'm in a cross state between shock and at the same time wanting to run back into the woods and never look back. The only thing that gets my attention is the small, terrified gasp and its only then that I remember that Prim is with me.

Before I can say anything she has her head buried in my side. I pull her close and stroke her hair. For the thousandth time I think, "she should've never had to see this." But then I think about all the other twelve year olds who have had to experience the Hunger Games and all the terror they shouldn't have had to see, how somebody so young shouldn't have had to die that way. The more I think about it, the more it fuels the fire of my hatred for the Capitol.

I begin walking again, slowly and carefully to make sure Prim doesn't trip. "Don't look up." I whisper as I begin to walk through the Seam.

The smell of blood and decomposing bodies grows stronger the farther we walk in. I tear off a piece of my shirt and hold it to Prim's nose. It does little help but she still takes it. After I'm over the initial shock of my surroundings, I decide its best to start checking for survivors. "Prim, I have to start checking for survivors. Stay over-"

"I'm coming with you." She interrupts.

"Prim, no-"

"I'm not staying anywhere alone, Gale. If something happens, I don't want to be alone. Besides, I can help the survivors. If there are any..." She trails off while looking around sadly.

I consider it. I don't know what we'll find but if there are any survivors, Prim can help. I remember one time we were in the woods with Katniss. Prim was only ten years old but we were trying to teach her how to hunt and it wasn't going well...at all. After a long and frustrating day, we decided to head back home. I wasn't aware that we had gotten too close to the edge of a cliff, which was camouflaged by trees and bushes. Needless to say, I walked too far and over I went. I fell about fifteen feet down the hill and into a flowing stream filled with sharp rocks. The last thing I remembered was hitting my head then blacking out. When I woke up, my head was bandaged, my arm was in a makeshift sling and there was a strange smelling ointment on the other minor cuts and bruises. Katniss had made shelter and somehow managed to drag out me out of the stream into safety. But it was Prim who turned from being a frightened young girl into a nurse that had wisdom beyond her years. Katniss assisted when she was needed as far as picking the right herbs and other simple things but she turned away at the sight of me in pain, which wasn't unusual for her. She was strong when it came to a lot of things but seeing someone suffer was something she just couldn't handle. I couldn't blame her though, I was the exact same way.

However, Prim stayed by my side the entire night, always keeping a watchful eye on me even while I slept, which wasn't much. We were there for about two days before I had enough strength to get up and even then it was only because Katniss half dragged me up the less steep side of the cliff. After that climb, I could've slept for ages. Thankfully, the journey back home wasn't too far and we made it back in about an hour. Our mothers, particularly my own, were hysterical. I'd never seen her so upset yet so happy at the same time. She scolded us all for scaring them but her anger was righteous and it didn't last long. Katniss' mom, however, was just…quiet. She let my mom do all the talking while she hugged Prim and cried. I told her how brave she had been and how she practically saved my life. She kissed Prim on the forehead and told her she was proud. She tried hugging Katniss but she shook her head and walked out the door. She never admitted it but I think deep down she felt like she had failed me. Whenever I tried reassuring her, she always changed the subject.

Prim, oddly enough, was the same way. I thanked her and though she smiled, she didn't want to talk about it. Most be an Everdeen trait, I finally concluded.

I sigh, shaking my head to clear the memory. I look at Prim, so young and frail but underneath it all, a fighter, survivor and a healer. I had a feeling that even if I tried to say no, she'd do her own thing anyway. She's stubborn like that. Just like her sister. So without further word, I take her hand and we start checking the numerous bodies that lay in the street.

We check everywhere. The street, houses, businesses, everywhere but the result is poor. One, two, three, four hours pass and nothing changes except that my heart is getting heavier and more desperate by the moment. Finally, I stop when I see Prim holding a young girl in her arms. I rush over to her and kneel down to Prim's level, giving her a questioning look.

The child is no older than four years old and her tiny fingers wrap around Prim's while her breathing is slow and heavy. It's then that I see the gunshot wound in her side. I don't have to be a healer to know that she's not going to make it. Prim is merely staying by her side until her time is up. "Her family is inside." She whispers, never taking her eyes off the child. I take a look inside and am greeted by the same sight I've seen all day. Dead. All of them. Mom, dad, brother and two sisters. Dead.

I sigh heavily, fighting back the tears that threaten to come at any moment. I find Prim again and sit next to her. She never acknowledges my presence. "Is there any hope for her?" I ask desperately, though I already know the answer.

Prim looks up at me and shakes her head. "They hit her lung. She doesn't have long." She replies shortly then looks back to the gasping child. She doesn't cry, which scares me the most. She doesn't have the strength. My eyes water as I stroke her hair while Prim rocks her back and forth.

"Deep in the meadow  
Under the willow  
A bed of a grass  
A soft green pillow  
Lay down your head  
And close your eyes…"

Prim's soft and melodic voice rings out softly throughout the quiet district, capturing the attention of the young girl dying in her arms. Her shimmery blue eyes begin to flutter open and shut frantically at first but then everything in her slows down. I continue to gently stroke her hair while Prim sings. I'm then very much reminded of a familiar scene in Katniss' Games. Rue, I think her name was and the spear that had ended her life. How Katniss brought her into her lap and sang to her until she died. I look at Prim and I see Katniss written all over her. Strong and stubborn, yet compassionate and frail.

My heart throbs when the child finally lets out her last breath and Prim's voice comes to an end. She echoes Katniss' actions by kissing her on the forehead then slowly picks up the child and takes her into the house. Her movements are mechanical as she tries to avoid stepping on the other corpses. She finds the child's bedroom, which is painted a light pink color, pulls the soft covers back and gently lays her onto her bed. She covers her back up then kisses the young girl softly on the head one last time. She sits there for a moment, thinking about something then finally stands up, looks at me with sad eyes then takes my hand and leads me out. "Let's go." She whispers.

As we walk back outside, I can't help but keep looking at Prim. She keeps her eyes focused on walking straight ahead, trying to stay strong but barely able to hold the tears back. I put my arms around her shoulders, pull her to my side then kiss her on top of her head. She remains quiet but squeezes my arm.

We continue our journey down a familiar street. It's the one that we ran down when the Capitol first invaded. We don't bother to check the bodies here for we already know that they didn't make it. We continue our way silently until Prim comes to a sudden halt. I look in her direction and the blood drains from my face. This is where Lily, her mother, died in my arms and there is her body in the same place we left it. Prim walks slowly over to her and grabs her cold hand, hoping and praying to find a pulse but instead she brings it to her lips and kisses it softly. "I love you." She chokes out.

I walk quickly over to Prim and pull her into my arms. She throws her arms around my neck and buries her face into my shoulder. I rock her back and forth as she cries, my heart shattering into further pieces. I don't have any words that could comfort her and it kills me. I pull back and look at the quivering child in front of me. "Your mother would want us keep looking, Prim. We can't give up just yet."

"Everyone's dead, Gale." she whimpers while looking her mother's body then back to me. "We're alone."

I place a hand on her cheek. "We don't know that for sure. We've got to keep looking."

She sniffles then wipes her eyes. "Ok." She replies shortly then looks back down. "Can we bury her? Please?"

Once again tears threaten my eyes. How could I deny such a request? Considering everything that she's been through, it's the least that I could do to properly bury her mother instead of leaving her here to rot. "Of course." I say then squeeze her shoulders. "We'll bury her in the meadow." The meadow is where Katniss' and my fathers are buried. It's not much but it's still symbolic. I only wish that I could do the same with my best friend's body.

"Ok." She nods then hugs me. "Thank you."

I pat her on the shoulder then carefully pick up Lily's body. I shiver underneath her cold body and fight back the tears as I carry her to the meadow. So many that I have of her flash through my memory. The bad days where I'd come in and see her sitting in the rocking chair, not moving or speaking. I remember a time Katniss ran to my house crying that she was dead because while she was sleeping, it didn't look like she was breathing and she had slept for the entire day. It took a lot of convincing for her to realize that wasn't dead and even then she didn't believe us until she finally woke up. And then there were the good days when she was finally starting to come out of her depression and I'd walk in to find her reading Prim a story or sitting in the same rocking chair near the fireplace with Buttercup in her lap on a cold winter's day. She always greeted me with a smile and welcomed me in her home. It just now hit me that I would never, ever see that smile again and that was a fact to face.

When we finally reached the meadow, I laid her down in the soft grass next to her husband's grave. I then realized that I didn't have a shovel or anything to dig her grave. I would have to go back my home and that terrified me. I didn't know what I was going to find but I knew deep down it wasn't going to be good. But I had to do this. For Prim and for myself. I had to know the truth.

Reading my thoughts, Prim grabbed my hand. "We have to find a shovel…"she starts carefully, watching my expression.

"There's one by my house." I say then quietly walk towards my home, which is around the corner but Prim grabs my hand.

I turn around warily. "Gale…" she trails off but I know what she wants to say.

"We've got to find out sooner or later." I say.

She hesitates but finally takes her place by my side and walks with me. I try to prepare myself but my nerves get the best of me. My heart beats faster and faster the closer I get. I search for any signs of life and listen for any sounds, hoping to hear footsteps or rustling but I'm only greeted with silence. When I reach the front porch, Prim stops. "You go in," she whispers. "I don't wanna see."

I shiver at what she really means but I shake it off and just respond with a nod. I literally have to force myself to make the short trip on the few stairs. The first thing that I notice is that the door is kicked in, furniture is thrown everywhere and all the doors are either open or hanging off the hinges. A feeling of both dread and desperation hits me and I frantically search the house. But here is what shakes me up, there's blood but no bodies…

There was a struggle, that is evident but there are no-

"Gale!" a scream pierces the air.

I run as fast as I can, preparing myself for a fight but as I round the corner of the house, Prim throws herself into my arms. I grab her arms and throw her behind me and shout, "Run, Prim!" but she grabs the back of my shirt and won't let go. "Prim, I said go!" I yell frustrated while looking around frantically for peacekeepers.

"Gale," she whimpers.

I pull her around to my side. "Prim, there's no time-". It's the sad look in her eye that makes me stop. "Prim…what's wrong?" She shuts her eyes tightly and chokes back a sob. I kneel down to her level and cuff her cheek in my hand. "Prim, tell me." I say more tenderly.

She sniffs loudly then places her hand on my cheek. "I'm sorry." She whispers.

My blood runs cold and once again the eerie silence hits me full force. I stand up, my knees shaking violently. I walk a few more feet around the corner and am met by my most horrid fear.

Dead. My family, all of them lay spread out and lifeless on the ground before me. I numbly walk over, not wanting to believe the horrific scene before me. I want to shout at my brothers to stop fooling around and them popping up to say they're sorry. I want to hear Posey cry and then rock her to sleep in the rocking chair. But most of all, I want to wrap my mother up in my arms and tell her that I love her and that everything will be ok. I wish for all of these things but they remain impossible. They're gone, just like the rest of District 12 and probably other districts and Katniss and Peeta. All of them, gone and there's no way to bring them back.

I kneel by mother's side and turn her over. Her body is cold and lifeless, having taken a bullet to the head, killing her instantly. Beside her, in her arms is the limp body of Posey, a wound where her heart should be. A few feet away is Rory and Vick with gunshot wounds in the same places. They both look beaten up bad and probably put up the most of a fight which would explain the mess inside. I don't want to believe it, I want to wake up from this nightmare but I know it's never going to happen. This is the evidence. There is no one else.

As I take my mother's body into my arms, I let out a loud and long strangled cry. It echoes loudly throughout the air, no responses coming back. I burry my face into her should and cry. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." I cry over and over again.

It's all real now. We really are alone. That fact alone hurts more than any bullet ever could. It rips my heart apart little by little, prolonging it's intense pain. I cry loudly without shame. Who would I be embarrassed by?

I could've sat there for another two hours, drowning in the grief that has threatened to swallow me whole but a righteous anger takes its' place. The Capitol did this out of revenge but I can't make sense out of it. A warning is all it should've been. A few killings, maybe even a few fires and bombs but not this. As far as I know, there are no survivors except for Prim and I. Who is there left to warn? The other districts? Is this being televised as a threat?

I don't have the answers and thinking about it makes my head hurt. All that I know is that my best friend took her life in the Games and in return, all of our family members have been killed. I can't help but wonder, "If you had known what was going to happen, would you have done it, Katniss?" I blame it on the grief.

But the anger deflates from me as soon as I see Prim sitting on the ground with her knees pulled up to her chin and a vacant expression in her eyes. I sigh and lay my mother's body on the ground and walk over to her. She doesn't say anything and neither do I. There are no words, not the right ones anyways. I could tell her that we're going to be ok but I don't know that and I'm not the type of person to say things that I don't mean. So instead, I squeeze her shoulder and kiss her softly on the head. It's the least bit of comfort that I can give her but I can't think of it too heavily. I have graves to dig.

And that's what I spend the next hour doing. Five six-feet deep holes in the meadow. I'm numb now as I bury my family. I figured I'd have to bury my mother at some point but not this soon and never in a million years had I imagined that I'd be burying my siblings at such a young age.

"Will you dig one for me?" a soft voice pierces the silence as I finish the last grave.

I look up and see Prim. I give her a confused look until I see the gun in her hand. She's on her knees, looking down, tears falling from her eyes as she holds the gun to head. I walk over to her cautiously. "Prim, what are you doing?"

"It's my fault, Gale." she whispers. "All of this." She looks at our families bodies. "They're dead because of me."

"Prim, don't-"

"Don't what, Gale? Blame myself?" she asks bitterly.

"Prim, it's not your fault." I whisper shakily. She has her hand on the trigger and one false move or words could end her life.

Prim shakes her head. "If I had just stepped up when my name was called and accepted my fate, none of this would have happened!" She says angrily, the cold metal in her hand trembling violently.

I kneel down in front of her. "You know more than I that Katniss wouldn't have allowed you to go in." I say gently.

She winces at her name. "That's not true. I could've told her no. I could've refused her to volunteer. It happens all the time in 1 and 2. But I stood there and did nothing." The self-hatred that's evident in her voice makes me cringe. The pain in her eyes is reflected in my own. She closes them tight and turns her head. "You can turn it any way you want but it all leads back to me. It was my name that was pulled. If I'd known this was going to happen, I would've gladly died then none of this would've happened. Everyone would still be alive. Not just my family but yours too." My heart throbs and I immediately regret my recent thoughts about Katniss a few minutes ago. Prim opens her eyes and they shimmer with more tears and sorrow. "I'm sorry, Gale." She cries. "I didn't mean to. I didn't mean it, I'm sorry. I swear, if I'd known-"

"Shhh," I gently shush her then cuff her face in my hands. "It's not your fault, Prim. I know you don't think so but it's true. I know you're hurt and scared, I am too. I don't understand what happened yesterday but one thing I do understand is that Katniss loved you so much. She was always ready to lay her life down for you. She didn't have to second guess herself when it came to taking your place. She did it because she wanted you to live and be happy."

Prim sniffles and wipes her eyes violently, trying to rid herself of the tears. "What good does that do me now? How can I ever be happy again when I don't have anyone left? I don't even know if I'll survive long enough to live a normal life."

"Just because we're stuck in an awful situation right now doesn't mean our future is going to the same way. We've survived this long, let's make it a little longer." I sigh warily then look into her eyes. "I promised Katniss that if anything ever happened to her, I would be there to protect her family. Now I already failed her by letting your mom die and I'm sorry for that. If I could back in time and save her, I would. Hell, I'd save all of us but I can't do that. What's done is done and all we can do is pick up the pieces and move on." If being manly includes never crying like some say, then by all means, call me a child because I can't hold back the tears any more. "But I can't do that without you, Prim. Without you, there's no reason for me to be alive right now. I need you to be strong for me, for your parents, for Katniss. Don't let her sacrifice be in vain. I don't understand what she did out there but that doesn't mean we never will. We've got to keep going and see what's out there. Maybe one day we'll make sense of this whole mess. But I need you hang in there because you're my family now. Can you do that for me?"

Prim chokes back a few tears then slowly nods. I wipe away her tears with my thumb. "Good. Now can we put this down?" I cautiously reach for the gun that's been trembling in her hand. She nods slowly then hands it over to me, which I quickly toss to the side then wrap her up in my arms. We cry together, sharing the pain of the loss of our loved ones and just because we're both so scared and broken.

I look up to the sky and silently pray, "I hope you know what you're doing."

I don't know what's going to happen but I hope that I find the reason to why Katniss sacrificed herself like she did. I'm not dead yet so I'll keep searching, hoping and praying that it'll all make sense one day.

* * *

_I know, I know it's sad! But it'll all make sense soon :) keep reading! also, check out my sister's channel, moonlite982. Her story Rebirth is awesome and she could use some encouragement too in her writing too! :) until next time, peace out, peeps!  
**One more thing I forgot to mention! I didn't remember to mention this until a reviewer said something. You guys are welcome to post suggestions for survivors but, without giving too much away, they won't be used until later on in the story. So go for it and I will do my best to get them in there. Also, you guys are apart of this so feel free to submit other ideas as well. thanks everyone! :D ~moonlite**  
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